Hip Planet Bookstore Hippie Philosophy Section

Hippies & Hippy Philosophy Section
Below are just some of the influential books written or read by hippies.
From Acid to Zen, these books inspire us.
For more info on hippies, visit Hippyland's Hippiedom Page
Click on the book cover or name to get more info or buy the book!
If you would like to recommend a book to add to our list,
please e-mail us the title and author and a one paragraph review to books@hippy.com

Hippies from A to Z: Their Sex, Drugs, Music and Impact on Society from the Sixties to the Present by Skip Stone

Skip Stone is the Webmaster and Editor of the very successful Hippyland - Hippy.com, a thriving online community for today's counterculture. For the last three years he has researched hippies and the hippy movement. The result is his first book on the subject, Hippies From A to Z. This book is a must for someone studying hippies and the movement, or anyone wanting to know more about them.

Part I is a discussion of the hippy movement including their fashions, lifestyle, activism and philosophy. There are chapters on old hippies and young hippies with an inspirational message to each. The first section has over 150 specially selected quotations in context.

Part II is a reference work with chapters about hippy music and books, a discussion of major hippy events including a timeline, hippy havens, famous hippies and an extensive glossary of hippy terms. This book answers all those questions you have about hippies, including who did what, when, and what ever happened to them.

Be Here Now - Ram Dass The classic guidebook for those on the inner spiritual journey. This inspired work blends Eastern Philosophy with the western mindset. Everything is connected and you can achieve nirvana if you can just Be here now! Good graphics and unusual format make this book a real trip. Das Energi by Paul Williams. Paul wrote this book while living on a remote commune in Canada (his book about that experience is called Apple Bay). Das Energi contains illuminating revelations that cast light upon life's great mysteries. A manual for the Taoist within, full of hippie wisdom. Steal This Book : Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Facsimile Edition by Abbie Hoffman. Yippie, media hound, author, anarchist, Abbie was many things to many people. In this book he gives loads of tips on how to get by with no money, how to take advantage of the "system", and how to undermine it. A classic!	Chaos and Cyberculture by Timothy Leary. Timothy Leary, the LSD guru has a lot to say about society, culture, technology and the human mind. This book offers up thirty years of Leary's experience and knowledge. A good retrospective and introduction to his work. The Politics of Ecstasy by Timothy Leary. In this book, Timothy Leary, the high priest of LSD, promotes the right to expand one's mind as he seduces us to turn-on, tune-in and drop-out! He questions the government's growing power to prevent individual experimentation with psychedelics, still a relevant topic! Includes the famous 1966 Playboy interview where he discusses LSD and sex. Flashbacks : A Personal and Cultural History of an Era by Timothy Leary, William S. Burroughs. This is Leary's autobiography and includes fascinating tidbits from his days at Harvard to turning on celebrities to his escape from imprisonment. Always delightful, entertaining and mind expanding.
Coming of Age in Babylon : Finding Your Own Reality by Doug De Bias. Candid talk about sex, sexuality, drugs, race and ethnicity, feminine facial hair, male and female masturbation, the myopia of upward mobility, parents, partners, politics, religion, the rat race and more. Comes with a CD with 20 songs! (new edition!)	The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. Tom Wolfe's book about Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. One of the great books about how LSD invaded America's consciousness, peaking during the Summer of Love. A tribute to Kesey, the Pranksters (including Neal Cassady, Ken Babbs, Mountain Girl and Wavy Gravy), and the whole psychedelic generation. Good insight into how the torch was passed from the Beats to the hippies. It also contrasts Kesey's "up front", experiential movement versus Timothy Leary's experimental, insightful approach to the LSD trip.
On the Road - by Jack Kerouac. One of the original "beats" writes about the freedom of life On the Road from his sensitive Buddhist perspective. Kerouac influenced a whole generation who went searching for another way to live. Dharma Bums - by Jack Kerouac Jack Kerouac's book about the beat philosophy's roots in Zen Buddhism. He chronicles his adventures in California and a trip across the country, ending in a reflective stint up on a mountain as a fire lookout. This "rucksack wanderer" sure met some interesting people on his journeys including poet Allen Ginsberg and Buddhist Gary Snyder. The descriptions of Beat parties are not to be missed. This book and "On The Road" inspired many a hippy to take to the road in search of onself.	Seth Speaks - Jane Roberts. Seth speaks through Jane Roberts and has lots to say. How you create your own reality, why we reincarnate. The Seth books help you learn to integrate your experiences and put a good perspective on life. The Nature of Personal Reality : Specific, Practical Techniques for Solving Everyday Problems and Enriching the Life You Know (A Seth Book) -Jane Roberts. Memory Babe, A Critical Biography of Jack Kerouac. Considered to be the best book about Jack.
A Separate Reality Don Juan is Carlos' guide into the world of the brujo, the sorcerer. With Don Juan's careful tutoring, Carlos is given mind altering drugs to enable him to perceive the Separate Reality. Naive Carlos is forever making a fool of himself, but Don Juan is patient and has much to teach about the world beyond the veil. The Fire From Within and Tales of Power are two more great books about the teachings of Don Juan.	Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenence: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig. Now here's a book that really makes you think about how you approach life. This easy reading tale is packed with meaning.
Looking for the Summer by Robert W. Norris. A Vietnam War conscientious objector's adventures and search for identity on the road from Paris to Calcutta in 1977.	The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, Aubrey Beardsley (Illustrator) Gibran's inspirational masterpiece. Divinely inspired philosophy without dogma. A poetic guide to life and peace of mind.
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Unusual socratic dialogue between human and ape discussing the place of man in the nature of things. A cult book.	A New Model of the Universe - P. D. Ouspensky Ouspensky makes use of the "hidden knowledge" mystics have passed down through the generations resulting in a mind expanding exploration of the universe beyond our senses.
Autobiography of a Yogi by Pramahansa Yogananda. This is a tale of devotion of an incredibly loving person for his guru and and all life. His life story and the teachings within touch the soul.	Bhagavad Gita The classic Indian gospel of Lord Krishna and his devotees. Great inspiration for peace loving, mantra chanting, vegetarian eating hippies.
Tao Te Ching - Lao Tsu, Gia-Fu Feng translator. This has been hailed as the best English translation of Lao Tsu ever. And that's so important to convey the subtle meanings inherent in the Tao. The nature photography accompanying the text compliments and enhances it's meaning.	The Drifters by James Mitchener. Follow six hippie travelers on their outer and inner journeys to exotic places like Marrakech and Mozambique. This book will ignite your spirit of adventure.
Awakening the Buddha Within - Lama Surya Das A westerner who has studied Tibetan Buddhism for twenty years relates how Buddhism can improve our modern lives.	The Tibetan Book of the Dead - Don't leave life without it! How to exit this world gracefully and assure your return in another body. If it's good enough for the Dali Lama...